Blair hits campaign trail for Brown

Former prime minister Tony Blair on Tuesday hit the campaign trail for successor Gordon Brown, in a surprise bid to boost his Labour Party.

In a speech to supporters in the area he formerly represented in Parliament and where he announced his retirement two years ago, Blair criticized the Conservatives campaign slogan, "Time for Change," as "the most vacuous slogan in politics."

As the opposition for the past 13 years, the Conservatives have shown that they have rejected change, he said. He charged that the Conservatives base their policies on opinion polls and that their positions on central issues remain a puzzle, DPA reported.

Brown welcomed the assistance of Blair, who despite massive criticism for his role in the Iraq war remains popular with many Britons.

The latest opinion polls show the Tories leading Labour by 10 points. Elections are expected by early May.